


Tied Together With Static Chains

by ApolloWD



Category: The Amazing World of Gumball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, GUMROB, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Multi, No Smut, OT3, POV Alternating, POV Third Person, Polyamory, Pre-OT3, References to Depression, Romantic Soulmates, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Trauma, no beta we die like men, sfw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:27:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26124208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApolloWD/pseuds/ApolloWD
Summary: There are all sorts of rumors about what happens when you meet your soulmate. Some say that time stops for everyone but the two of you. Some say that you can feel each other’s pain like it's your own. Some say that everything you write on your hand appears on theirs.Everyone seems to have their own interpretation, but they all tie back to one idea.There’s something physical that links you to the person you are destined for.Gumball Watterson does not care for this idea. None of that ever happened when he met Penny. And Gumball knows that he loves Penny.But when strange things start happening to Gumball, he resigns to get to the bottom of it, changing his outlook on soulmates- and on the person he thought was least likely to be his- forever.(Rated Teen for strong language and discussed/referenced self-harm. This fic takes place directly after The Ex.)
Relationships: Gumball Watterson & Darwin Watterson, Gumball Watterson & Nicole Watterson, Penny Fitzgerald/Gumball Watterson, Penny Fitzgerald/Rob/Gumball Watterson, Rob/Gumball Watterson
Comments: 22
Kudos: 78





	1. Nothing to Worry About

_Beep. Beep. Beep._ The familiar chime of an alarm clock was the first sound Gumball Watterson heard that day, and he immediately knew what it signaled. Opening his eyes, he leaped out of bed, his excitement speckling every motion with a vibrant energy. Like a television on fast-forward, he quickly ran a comb through his fur, smoothing the matted patches into slick blue fuzz.

Twirling around on the tip of his paw, he pulled on a light brown turtleneck before rushing downstairs, barely stopping himself from falling. He sped out the door, a blend of exhilaration and anxiety powering every step as he ran towards the mall, feet scraping across the charcoal-colored asphalt, fur rushing in the wind.

The sky was bright and blue, and only the occasional fluffy cloud dotted the sky, setting a placid, halcyon atmosphere. Gumball would have taken the time to appreciate the day, had he not been running at speeds rivaling Olympic runners in order to reach the mall in time. His paws felt like they were being scraped with coarse sandpaper, but he kept running nonetheless.

As he pushed open the massive glass door, Gumball shoved past crowds of people, jumping over their heads and speeding around them. Finally, he skidded to a stop outside Dinner- the diner which his date had agreed to meet at. Gasping for breath, he yanked open the door and stepped inside, his feet dragging against the floor and refusing to move any further.

"Oh, Gumball! You're right on time!" Penny remarked, smiling.

Gumball would have had a clever retort, had he not been panting like a dog in the middle of August. Finally, he sat down in the booth and gave his girlfriend a weak smile, placing his hand in hers. He paused for a moment to catch his breath, before finally replying. "Yeah! Sorry about that. I was probably cutting it a little close there. Anyways, how's it going?"

Penny chuckled. "A _little_ close? I can still see the soot marks on your paws! It's fine if you're a bit late, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I just... y'know."

"What?"

"I wanted to impress you!" Gumball finally squeaked, blushing heavily.

"Aww, Gumball. You don't have to impress me! I already love you." As Penny spoke, Gumball's cheeks grew even warmer, while his girlfriend paused for a moment. "Even if we aren't really soulmates."

Gumball froze up, his eyes anxiously darting around the diner and taking in his surroundings. The yellow walls were covered in glossy pictures, reflecting Gumball’s apprehensive face. He dug his claws into the red booth, taking a deep breath before finally speaking.

"No... that's not what it's about. I don't care if we're soulmates or whatever. That stuff is all complete bullshit. I mean, if time really stops when you meet them, why aren't we stopping and starting every few seconds?" Gumball asked, sarcasm edging every word.

Penny chuckled. "Yeah, and how do people get anything done? I mean, if you feel each other's pain, that seems _really_ distracting."

"And why aren't there more people walking around with test answers on their hands? I mean, there's gotta be _someone_ who tried to cheat like that. Did they try and pin it on their soulmate?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Simian! My soulmate tried to cheat on his math test!" Penny mocked, before bursting into laughter.

"Exactly! It just doesn't make sense!" Gumball grinned, finally happy that someone understood. Everyone was always freaking out about finding their soulmates- but clearly him and Penny were living proof that it didn’t matter. He stretched out and scooted further into the cherry red booth.

"Even if it did," Penny continued, "it still wouldn't matter. I mean, we're not soulmates, and we still love each othe-" She was suddenly interrupted by a sharp exclamation across the table.

"Shit!" Gumball yelped, shaking his paw. "My arm!"

"Are you okay?"

Gumball nodded, rubbing his forearm with one hand. "Yeah, sorry. That happens sometimes. Don't worry about it."

Penny shook her head. "You looked really freaked out. You sure it isn’t something weird?"

Gumball sighed. "It just normally isn't that bad. I'm fine. I swear."

Reluctant to argue with Gumball, Penny accepted the excuse. A pink creature (who resembled some sort of axolotl, Gumball thought) serving as their waitress stepped up to the table.

"Are you two ready to order?"

Gumball and Penny both nodded simultaneously. "I'll have the blueberry pancakes," Gumball requested.

"I'll have the chocolate chip," Penny said. As their waitress walked away, she continued their conversation. "So what do you think caused it?"

"I don't know. I probably, like, sprained a nerve or something.” Gumball shook his arm a little more, although the pain had faded.

"Have you seen a doctor about it?" Penny asked, anxiety dotting her voice. “This could be really serious.”

"No, it's fine! I just don't get hurt. It's mind over matter, Penny," Gumball declared, a little too confidently, as the pink waitress returned with their pancakes. They were towered high and covered in syrup, their fluffy interiors only showing a little beneath the mountain of decadence. Gumball slid one plate over to his girlfriend, but she barely seemed to notice it.

"Considering that you screamed at frequencies rivaling opera singers just a few minutes ago, I’m not sure about that,” Penny quipped, the concern in her voice speckled throughout and showing itself in her darting eyes.

”No, seriously. I’m fine. It’s just one of those weird personal quirks, like how some people can wiggle their ears or whistle with their butt,” Gumball responded, drumming his fingers on the table and betraying his own anxiety to Penny. He looked away, back down at his other paw, which was resting on the booth and performing the same tapping motion.

”I just don’t want you to get hur-“ Penny was interrupted by Gumball placing his paw on her shoulder, her body warming his. He looked into her amber eyes, wide and fearful, and let the silence linger for a moment.

”I’m going to be okay. I promise,” Gumball said, consoling Penny. The truth was, though, Gumball _was_ nervous- every tiny shift of his tail and fleeting motion of his eyes broadcasted that. “I’ll see a doctor, I swear. And if it’s something to worry about, you can say ‘I told you so.’”

Penny nodded, her worries quelled- or at least diminished. “Okay. Thank you.” She turned her eyes down, noticing the plate of pancakes below her. “Shall we attend to these?”

Gumball nodded, grinning. “You already know what I’m going to say.”

The two of them dug into their food like feral animals after a successful hunt. The pancakes were soft and fluffy, and so deliciously sweet that they almost made Gumball’s teeth hurt. As they finished their plates, they looked back up at each other. Penny’s eyes met Gumball’s, and they both smiled until their cheeks couldn’t take it, happy that they were together again. The unexplained twinge of pain faded from Gumball’s arm and Penny’s mind, and Gumball’s hand found his girlfriend’s once again.

”I love you,” Penny said after a moment of silence.

“I love you too,” Gumball replied, savoring every word like honey on his tongue. He leaned in to embrace his girlfriend. As the two of them held each other, the world seemed to slow down, letting them enjoy it for just a minute longer.

* * *

”It’s not physical.”

”What did you say?”

”It’s not physical. There’s no injury to your arm,” the doctor repeated, pulling the stethoscope away from Gumball. “You’re a perfectly healthy young man.”

”Then why is this happening to me?” Gumball asked, almost in disbelief. His pupils contracted until they were pinpricks in an ocean of gray, and sweat began to bead on his forehead. _Why am I so scared? That’s good, right?_

“The truth is, I don’t know. There could be all sorts of causes. An allergy to something in your clothing, an incredibly persistent bee, or it could just be all in your head.” The doctor paused for a moment, mulling things over. “You said that it’s a stabbing pain, not a dull ache, correct?”

Gumball nodded.

”Then I don’t know what to tell you. Get some rest, take an ibuprofen, and see if it heals. That’s all the advice I can offer.”

Nicole stared at the doctor for a few minutes, her mouth slightly agape and eyes wide. Suddenly, she growled, her now-narrowed eyes shooting daggers at him. “My son is in pain and you can’t even figure out why? What kind of medical professional are you?” she hissed, her ivory claws unsheathing themselves.

”Mom,” Gumball whispered, trying to calm her down.

“Not now, Gumball. I’m speaking to this man,” she responded, her voice low and sharp. Turning back to the doctor, she flexed her claws, outstretching and retracting them with a level yet threatening gaze.

”I-I’m sorry, ma’am, but there’s simply not a physical cause for this,” the doctor reiterated, fear putting unfamiliar notes in his voice. “The only problems that could be leading to this are either psychological or spiritual, and unfortunately neither of those are in my area of expertise.”

“...spiritual?” Gumball muttered.

Nicole gritted her teeth. She lifted up her hand, preparing to strike, before stopping and giving a long, deep sigh. Shaking her head, she took Gumball’s wrist in her hand, pulling him out the door before the doctor could say another word. “We’re leaving.”

As they entered the parking lot, Gumball narrowed his eyes. “Why did you do that?” he snapped. “He was _trying_ to help.”

Nicole glanced back at Gumball, before her eyes darted away. “You’ll understand when you have kids of your own,” she finally replied.

”What kind of half-baked reply is that?” Gumball cried, exasperated, as he stepped into the yellow station wagon.

”Look, Gumball, I don’t have anything better to tell you,” Nicole responded, her voice containing the same level of exhaustion as she turned the key.

The drive home was spent in silence, Gumball and Nicole both sitting without saying a word. Gumball’s arms were crossed, and his eyes were angry and hooded, while Nicole’s eyes were wide and tinged with guilt. Nicole began to speak, but then decided against it and continued driving, her mouth curved into a soft frown. Finally, as the car pulled outside of the house, she sighed and started to talk.

”I’m sorry,” she began. “I overreacted.”

Gumball narrowed his eyes and turned away from her, crossing his arms. “I could have gotten some answers,” he muttered, after a short pause.

“...I know. And I apologize. It’s just-“

”Stop. I don’t want to hear your excuses, okay?” Gumball hissed, walking away from his mother and into the house. He slammed the door with a thundering crash, his enthusiasm from earlier that day evaporating like water under the bright sun as he stormed upstairs.

Sitting in his room, Gumball placed his head in his hands, the hurricane in his brain keeping him from thinking straight. As he tried to focus on one of the thoughts swimming around his mind, he was interrupted by a soft creak from the door. Turning his head, Gumball could see Darwin cautiously enter the room.

”Hey,” Gumball sighed.

”...Hey,” Darwin sat down next to Gumball. “What’s wrong?”

”Nothing,” Gumball answered, lying through his teeth.

”I can tell when you’re upset. What’s going on?”

”...Lots of stuff.”

”Like what?”

Gumball hesitated. “You know about the whole ‘soulmate’ thing, right?”

“Of course I do. What about it?” Darwin asked, a small, innocent smile on his face.

Gumball sighed and rubbed his brow between his fingers. “Well, I...”

Darwin narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on?”

Pausing for a moment, Gumball tried to collect his thoughts, before everything flooded out of him. “Penny isn’t my soulmate and I’m worried that’s a problem and my arm hurts and I’m worried that-“

Darwin placed one fin on his brother’s shoulder, interrupting him. “I thought you didn’t believe in soulmates,” he said, not so much sarcasm in his voice, but rather, genuine confusion.

”I thought I didn’t, but weird stuff keeps happening,” Gumball took a breath. “You don’t know any girls who hurt their arms recently, right?”

”...no?” Darwin was even more confused. “And anyways, if you do have a soulmate, it’s definitely me. _I grew legs_ because you loved me so much... platonically, I mean. Are platonic soulmates a thing?”

”Did you hurt your arm today?”

”...no. But how are you so sure it’s related to your ‘soulmate?’”

”It seems like the only logical conclusion.”

Darwin looked up at Gumball, finding no argument to refute him. Wordlessly, he gave his brother a hug.

”I’m scared, Darwin,” Gumball whispered, his tail twitching anxiously. “What if Penny doesn’t love me?”

”You called soulmates ‘bullshit’, Gumball. What changed?”

”I don’t know. But what if she’s supposed to be with someone else?”

Darwin pulled away from Gumball. “She still loves you. She loved you when things got hard, and she loves you now. She loved you when I tried to break you up, and she even loved you yesterday,” he responded, his voice calm and soft.

“Wait, what did I do yesterday?” Gumball asked, struggling to remember.

”You spent the entire day pining after Rob. It was really annoying,” Darwin deadpanned, before switching back to the softer voice he was using to calm his brother. “Anyways, my point is, she still loves you. She always will.”

Gumball sighed, trying to believe his brother’s words as he curled up onto his bed. He closed his eyes, a few stray tears falling from them like raindrops after a storm, and rested for a while.


	2. An Emotion a Size Too Small

Rob growled, frustration tinting his voice. Nothing was making sense. Nothing _ever_ made sense to the deformed cyclops, but at least he usually wasn’t soaking wet. The harsh, blinding sunlight of the day before had given way to an equally irritating thunderstorm, and there was no shelter in the junkyard where Rob spent most of his time. All of his emotions blended together- frustration at his work, anger at the storm, and a bizarre sort of sadness.

Rob was scared most of the time. He was angry most of the time. He was numb most of the time. He wasn’t sad most of the time. Sure, he had his moments, but they were always strong and powerful, tsunamis of emotion overtaking him and then leaving just as soon as they appeared. What Rob was feeling was different- it felt as though someone else had taken their emotions and transplanted them into the young teenager.

It felt awkward and out-of-place, like clothing a size too small. It wasn’t a wave, crashing over Rob and then retreating. It was more like a soft breeze brushing against him, tinting every thought but never truly showing itself. Racking his brain, Rob tried to put his emotions to words.

 _Melancholy. Loneliness._ None of them fit. They all felt a little off, and his attempts to make sense of things just raised more questions then they answered. Squeezing his eye shut, Rob felt every drop of rain on his body- even though most of it was scarred and numb. His tears mingling with the rain and landing on the ground, Rob began to cry.

Rob wasn’t supposed to cry.

It just wasn’t what he did. He gloated and mocked Gumball, a veneer of confidence coating every word, and then he came back to the dump to feel the tsunami crash over him, and then he went off to do the next thing. But he never cried. He sulked, he destroyed things, but no tears ever fell.

Something was definitely wrong.

Rob tried to push it out of his mind. He continued to work, bottling up his frustration. He ignored the rain, keeping his anger down. He wiped his eye with the back of his hand, shook his head, and forced out the sadness. He tried to concentrate on nailing scrap metal together. At least he could do that- at least he could be a good enemy.

That thought brought a new wave of pain crashing through Rob- a pain entirely his own. His limbs spasmed for a moment as he lost grip of the hammer.

It was two days ago. Rob regretted every single word. He knew he acted different when he was angry. Gumball was elated, he knew that much, but Rob felt a pit in his stomach, sending a fresh wave of nausea through him every time he thought about it.

He wasn’t sure why. He hated Gumball. The little bastard, just by virtue of existing, made Rob’s life an utter pain in the ass. Gumball was the hero. That meant Rob had to be the villain.

_That’s how it’s supposed to be._

_You can’t have the light without the shadow, the day without the night. The hero without the_ nemesis _.  
_

Sure, Rob wanted to be in the spotlight. He was perfectly fine with Gumball’s offer for them to be friends. _But the little shit had to fuck it up._

And anyways, it was selfish of Rob. He wanted to be on the same side as Gumball, to work alongside him, because then maybe it would make his life a little bit easier.

At least, that’s what Rob told himself.

The pit in his stomach said otherwise, but Rob chose to ignore it- maybe out of ignorance, or maybe out of fear. Picking up the hammer again, he continued to join the fragments together, his fist squeezing the smooth wooden handle as the sharp crack of metal echoed through the junkyard.

Rob’s arm ached a little as he worked. The pointed sting of the day before had ebbed away, leaving only a scar and a whisper of pain, white against the shifting background of static. It was hard to notice unless you were looking for it, and nobody ever looked for it. He never bandaged himself- his injuries worked strangely and healed quickly, and anyways, it would just draw attention to the scars.

Finally satisfied with his work, Rob began the trek into the Elmore suburbs, his feet protesting every step. That was another strange thing. His feet hurt, like they were being constantly eroded or like he was walking on sandpaper. He first really _noticed_ it the day before, although he could swear he had felt the same way before. Another day, another strange occurrence.

_Shouldn’t I be used to it now?_

As Rob arrived outside the Watterson house, he leapt into a bush, droplets of water spraying off the leaves. He hung the makeshift device on the thick trunk of an oak tree and waited. Sometimes it took Gumball hours to stumble into his traps. Sometimes it took days, and sometimes only minutes. As he sat in the rain, cloaked by the foliage, Rob wondered what would happen if he knocked on Gumball’s door, looking for a place to stay and a shoulder to lean on.

 _That’s ridiculous._ Rob dismissed the idea as soon as it appeared in his mind. _He wouldn’t.  
_

Rob clenched his fists _,_ another wave of anger passing over him, although it rapidly left his mind and was replaced with a sort of quiet exhaustion. _Why care? I don’t enjoy this anymore. It’s for_ him, _not me. It’s for the audience. It’s keeping me here. It’s not for me to enjoy it._

_Did I ever enjoy it?_

Rob clutched a branch with an iron grip, barely noticing until it was about to snap. He quickly dropped it- however little he cared, he was still unwilling to betray his position. His pale, chartreuse-yellow eye distorted itself into a thin horizontal slit, counting the seconds as he waited for Gumball to come into view.

After what felt like an eternity, the turquoise feline exited his house. Rob was pretty sure he was headed for a walk- through all his observation, he still couldn’t discern a clear motivation for most of Gumball’s actions. Gumball did what the story willed, because that was his job. Nothing more, nothing less.

Gumball’s feet dragged on his porch, and his shoulders hung low and swung wide arcs across his hips as he walked. For a moment, Rob considered leaving his position and asking Gumball how he was- if he was okay. On some level, Rob felt sorry for his nemesis. Sure, he was annoying, but Rob still knew how it felt to be so dejected.

That idea was short-lived, another seed of a plan that never had a chance to germinate. Instead, Rob set off the trap the moment his enemy walked below it, and it failed, as usual.

_Of course it did._

Gumball turned to Rob, his eyes heavy-lidded and tired. He spoke, his voice a low, cracking mutter. His fur was already a little bit damp, even though the rain had slowed to a light drizzle.

”Listen dude, can we not do this today?” he said. “I’m kind of in a bad place right now.”

Rob arched his eyebrow in some mix of confusion and mild amusement. “Oh?”

”Yeah, and I’m _really_ not in the mood to have an anvil fall on me.”

”Hey, I spent a long time on this. Do you know how heavy those things are?”

Gumball sighed. “Just stop. R-Reschedule this, or something. Not today.”

Rob closed his eye and exhaled. “...Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m gonna be fine, I just can’t do this today.”

”You sure? What’s going on?” Rob looked into Gumball’s eyes. They were a dark blue-gray and almost threatened to swallow him whole, but that wasn’t what he noticed. Somehow, the emotion reflected in them felt all-too-familiar, as if Rob were looking through a mirror to his own thoughts.

Gumball hesitated for a moment. “...Weird stuff has been happening, and I think I might have a soulmate.”

Rob laughed. “Penny? I thought this arc got resolved a while back. You’re dating. Are you _still_ going with relationship drama?” Ostensibly, Rob was speaking to Gumball, although the words coming out of his mouth were more for his own benefit then his nemisis’. “Anyways, I’m sure it’ll resolve sometime in the next few minutes.”

Gumball sighed. “Dude, you sound like you’re speaking Martian. And _no,_ it’s not Penny. That’s the thing. That’s why I kept calling the whole concept bullshit.”

Rob narrowed his eye, and his mouth closed into a puzzled expression. “Hm. You know, I’m probably not supposed to help you with this stuff, but I feel like it’s the better alternative to hiding in a bush playing therapist,” he spoke, fidgeting with the mass of yellow polygons that was probably supposed to resemble a shirt. “You got any leads?”

”Nah. Darwin suggested that it might be him, but to be honest, I doubt it,” Gumball said. “Neither of us think of each other in that way. I mean, we’re _brothers._ ”

Rob scratched the side of his head. “Can you have a platonic soulmate?”

Gumball sighed. “I don’t know, okay? The details online are pretty hazy, and they don’t teach us about it until 9th grade with the other... uh... whatever we’re learning that class.”

”Other...?”

”Mom won’t tell me, I don’t think Dad knows, and Anais wants to make me pay for the privilege. Anyways, even if I can have a non-romantic soulmate, I don’t think it’s Darwin. The details don’t add up.”

”Make a list. Cross-reference it.”

Gumball narrowed his eyes. “For a guy that’s so bad at making traps, you’re actually decently smart.”

Rob frowned. “I almost blew up a school bus. You call that incompetent?”

”And then you accidentally blew yourself up. And got arrested.”

”...touché.”

Gumball turned around and ran inside, before returning to the driveway with a pen and a sheet of thin notebook paper. “Okay, let me write down the name of every girl I know at Elmore Junior High.”

After finishing the list, Gumball squinted and slowly crossed out “Sussie” from the list. He picked it up and looked at it.

”Okay, what are the-“ Rob was interrupted by the sound of a door opening.

“Gumball? What are you doing? Are you still mad at me-“ a woman’s voice called from the doorway. Rob slowly turned around to be faced with another blue cat, although this one was quite a bit taller (and more female) than Gumball. “Gumball, honey, who is that?” she asked, rightfully confused at the boy standing beside her son.

Gumball stood up and smiled. “Mom, this is Rob. He’s my mortal enemy. Mom, meet Rob, Rob, meet Nicole.”

”Wait, hold on. Is that the man who was on the news for trying to bomb a bus full of children?” Nicole stepped back in horror, before narrowing her eyes and snarling. “Get away from my son before I make you.”

Gumball laughed shakily, before turning his expression to a more serious one. “Mom, _please,_ he whispered. ”I don’t want a repeat of yesterday. He’s my nemesis. He’s supposed to do that.”

”This is serious, Gumball.”

”He can’t do any damage.”

”He’s twice your size!”

”He’s thirteen.”

”I’ve never seen him at your school.”

Rob shook his head. “Please. I’ll go. I’m sorry for being a bother.” He knew that wasn’t really how he was supposed to act, but he couldn’t bear to see the two fight. He walked away, into the light rain and back towards whatever makeshift pile of garbage Rob could consider a home. Gumball considered going after him, but ultimately turned around and went back inside.

That night, after Darwin and Anais were fast asleep, Gumball turned to the list he wrote up. He paused for a moment, chewing on his pen and lost in thought. He crossed a few names out- Masami had no arms to hurt, and he wasn’t even sure if Carrie could feel pain. Finally, he added a name to the end, scrawled in thick black ink in contrast to the light pencil markings of every other name.

_“Rob”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m gonna try to post about a chapter a month. School makes it a little tricky to find time to write, though, so be patient if I don’t.


	3. A Flaw in your Methodology

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So so sorry for the late update this month! I got *very* caught up with school and such and didn’t have much time to write.

Gumball didn’t get much sleep that night. His mind kept racing, and he anxiously tossed and turned beneath his bedsheets. When he finally woke up after the few hours of rest he managed to achieve, he looked more than disheveled.

”Dude, are you okay? You look like a rotting prune,” Darwin exclaimed, noticing the bags that rested under his eyes. “I mean, more than you usually do when you wake up.”

”Sleep well?” Anais added, her tone sarcastic.

Gumball sighed, slicking the fur on his head back with one paw. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” He let out a yawn. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

Darwin narrowed his eyes. “What happened?”

“I was just thinking.”

"About what?"

"Uh, y'know," Gumball began. "Stuff. Life. Those big questions. Like, uh, does higher quality Swiss cheese have more holes or less?"

"Does... Swiss cheese..." Darwin repeated, his tone one of disbelief. "...have more holes? Seriously?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"How did you come up with such a good question in such an awful state? I'm... gonna go look that up. I need to think about that for a bit. Sorry for bothering you, go get some rest," Darwin walked up to the computer and hit the power button. As he waited for the screen to illuminate the room, he noticed the list laying next to it. He quickly scanned it over. "Gumball..? What is this? Is this a hit list?"

Gumball's eyes opened in shock. _Oh shit, the list! I forgot to move it._ "No-"

" _Is that why Carrie is a ghost?!_ _Because her name is crossed out?_ Holy crap, dude, I knew you had jealousy issues, but you don't kill _Carrie_ _!"_ Darwin began to hyperventilate, falling to his knees.

"Dude! No. It's not a hit list. It's for a... a... a science experiment. For school," Gumball replied, confused. "...Also, wasn't Carrie _born_ a ghost?"

"You _experimented_ on my gir- my- my friend?" Darwin yelled, apparently refusing to calm down.

"Dude," Gumball placed a hand on Darwin's head, which he quickly swiped away. "No. No experimenting occurred."

"Oh jeez. You freaked me out there," Darwin's breathing became deeper and he slowly got up. "So what is it for?"

"Like I said," Gumball replied. "A science experiment. In fact, I was about to... ask... Anais to help."

Darwin read over the list again. "Why do you need a massive list of names for _that_?"

"It's part of the... uh... scientific method?"

"When we learned about the scientific method, I didn't remember a part saying ' _make a weird list of every girl you know... and also_ _Rob, for some reason_.'"

"I think you were absent that day," Gumball said, his voice confident and his eyes narrow. "Yep. You were." He slowly nodded, trying to convince Darwin as he exited the room.

Anais followed him reluctantly. "I should probably make sure he doesn't get into any trouble. And, for that matter, that it _really_ isn't a hit list," she explained as she left their bedroom. "See you in a bit."

* * *

"So," Anais said, after her and Gumball had stepped outside. "What _is_ this science experiment you need help with?"

Gumball inhaled, likely preparing to recite an entire convoluted speech that he figured would somehow lead to Anais leaving the situation, but she stopped him, holding a finger in front of his lips. "Don't try lying your way out of this. You and I are both aware you're awful at it."

"It's not something you would understand."

"Gumball. I'm a grade above you at school, and the only reason I'm not higher is because they felt weird about moving a four-year-old to high school. I read at a college level. Whatever you're about to say, I'm sure I'll understand- maybe better than you do."

"Fine," Gumball sighed. "There's something going on with me, and... it's related to my soulmate. That's why I have this list. It really is an experiment... just, not for school. In fact, it's spring break. I don't know how Darwin fell for that."

"Well, I've watched many, many princess movies," Anais closed her eyes and sighed, standing on the tips of her toes in order to place a hand on Gumball's shoulder. "And I'm at the point where they've taught me all about that stuff in school. I'm sure I can help you."

Gumball's deep gray eyes lit up with happiness, and his tired face rapidly shifted to be grinning. "Really? That's great!"

"Of course. I'm your sister. What do you need to know?"

"Well... how do I know? Like, how do I figure out who it is? And before you ask _, it's not Penny._ " Gumball sat down on the cracked sidewalk, next to the hot asphalt, and Anais stretched out next to him.

"It's different for everyone. I don't pretend to know- nobody does. Everyone has a different way of figuring it out, and everyone shows different signs," Gumball's expression quickly turned to one of anxiety, and Anais quickly corrected herself. "That's not to say that there are _no_ patterns. It's just a little different depending on the individual. Like, some people have matching birthmarks, some people have a timer counting down the seconds until they meet, and some people feel each other's pain. Ther-"

Gumball quickly interrupted her. "That's it. That's what I'm having. The 'feel each other's pain' thing. That's what was going on."

"At least you know that. Anyways, as I was saying," Anais continued, barely hearing her brother, "There are no set rules. I read that most signs- that is, those that don't appear from birth, start showing up after a moment of emotional intensity and honesty. That's apparently the one unifying factor. If you want me to provide my sources, it's actually pretty interes-"

"Okay, okay, okay!" Gumball finally exclaimed, a little exasperated at his sister. "I get it, I get it. I'm too tired to listen to you talk for an hour. Can you just help me _actually_ do this thing?"

"Yeah, but what do you actually want me to do?" Anais asked, a puzzled look on her face. "There's been a lot of _talking_ happening, but you never told me what we need to get done."

"Well, I want you to attack everyone on that list," Gumball said, his voice as cheerful as ever while Anais' expression became even more confused. "Not- not hard or anything. Just pinch them a little bit, or something. We can even switch off! It's for science."

Anais blinked once, before moving to be sitting straight up, her hands clasped together. "What's in it for me?"

"Like I said, it's for science."

"That's not enough. I don't want my social standing to fall even more than it already has. You have to have something seriously big for me to even _think_ about agreeing to this."

"I'll... take you to The Screamening 2?" Gumball shrugged, clearly grasping at straws.

"After the way the first one ended? Please. After I got over the initial shock value, there was clearly nothing there for the intellectually-minded."

Gumball closed his eyes and sighed. "Listen, you're clearly hard to please. All I can offer you is 63 cents, a half-chewed piece of spearmint gum, and a hug."

"You know what, I'll do it."

"Seriously? The hug worked?"

"No, Gumball. I was about to say, I'll do it _on one condition._ "

"That I give you a hug?"

" _That you find me a friend!_ " Anais snapped. "Sorry. It's just, if I'm going to be ruining my place on the social totem pole, I hope that you'll at least help me restore it. One favor to another, you know. I'll help you find love-"

"Not love," Gumball said. "I have that with Penny, and I'm not looking to replace that. I just want closure."

"Closure. And you'll help me find companionship. Is it a deal?"

"It's a deal," Gumball handed the list to Anais, who scanned it over again.

"So, where should we go?"

"The mall. That's where people tend to flock," Gumball spoke, with all the confidence of somebody running on three hours of sleep and searching for answers.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

As they arrived at the mall, Gumball was hardly shocked to see it as packed as ever.

”Man, is this place ever empty?” he remarked, looking over the crowds of people.

”I wouldn’t think so. It’s where every store is- hell, you can even buy groceries here,” Anais responded, squinting as she followed her brother’s gaze.

”Who taught you that word?”

”You did.”

”Yeah, fair enough- hey, target sighted at 11 o’clock,” Gumball turned around and darted behind a bush, while Anais quickly realized who he was talking about. She stepped up to Teri, whispered, “I’m so sorry,” and tore off a tiny sliver of paper.

Teri immediately shrieked. “What the hell was that?!”

”It’s... for... science?” Anais gave a weak smile, mouthing “Seriously, sorry,” before darting away to talk to her brother. “Feel anything?”

”Nope. Except a faint ringing in my ears. I told you to just make them feel a little pain, not to make the entire mall freak out!”

”I tried!” Anais said, exasperation edging her hushed voice. “You know she’s a hypochondriac.”

”Whatever. Do better next time, okay?”

”Hey, if you keep being like this I might just stop holding up my end of the deal. You’re already testing my patience.”

Gumball sighed and shook his head.

Anais quickly added on, “I’m doing this as a favor. You should be happy I agreed to help you in the first place. Let’s just find the next person before we make more of a scene than we already have.”

Gumball turned towards the list, then paused. “Wait. I have an idea.”

He ran away for a moment, leaving Anais crouched behind a potted plant, before returning just a few seconds later and trailing a bag of ice behind him.

”This won’t cause any damage,” he explained, hoisting it in front of him, “but it’ll be unpleasant enough to hopefully cause them to feel something.”

”Wow,” Anais mused, genuinely impressed. “You actually had a smart idea for once.”

“And the next person on the list is right over there!” Gumball tiptoed up to his target before holding an ice cube on the back of her head. He pressed it there for a second, then for ten, then for thirty, and then for a minute.

”Gumball,” Anais whispered, covering a laugh. “Gumball,” she repeated, louder this time. “There may be a flaw in your methodology.” Gumball turned his head towards his sister, a look of frustration and confusion on his face.

”She hasn’t reacted.”

”Gumball. That’s Sarah. She’s made of ice cream.”

Gumball paused for a moment, before dropping the ice cube and staring at his feet for a moment, ruminating.

”I see the problem.”

”Yeah, and apparently, so does everyone else.” Anais pulled Gumball behind the potted plant with him. The entire mall seemed to be looking on in confusion. “What was that about not causing a scene?”

”...Let’s get out of here.”

The walk home appeared fairly uneventful. The sky wasn’t sickeningly bright, nor was it dark and storming. A thin sheet of clouds covered everything, tinting all the light a touch gray. Anais was cracking up all the way back, and Gumball couldn’t help but snicker at a few of her jokes.

“I really made a fool of myself there, didn’t I?” Gumball asked with a slight smile on his face, the question clearly rhetorical.

”Obviously,” Anais replied, nodding.

”I mean, what kind of dimwit tries to- ow!” Gumball looked up at a tree branch that had knocked him in the head, rubbing his eye. Still, though, the branch wasn’t what caught his attention.

It was Rob. He was standing right in front of Gumball.

More than that, though, he was muttering about an injury.

An injury in the exact same spot as Gumball’s.


	4. Just As Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DISCUSSED SELF-HARM. Nothing is explicitly shown, however characters are portrayed talking about the subject. Please click away if this material may be triggering for you.
> 
> Shorter chapter than normal this time. Sorry about that.

“Oh my God.”

Gumball was the first one out of the three to speak. Rob looked mildly confused and a little concerned, Anais appeared shocked and still a little bit confused, and Gumball was still processing everything.

”...what?” Rob asked, rubbing his head and squinting. “What happened? What is it?” He looked down at Gumball, who’s expression was rapidly becoming one of shock.

”Did you... hit your head on that branch?” he asked, his eyes darting around until finally converging onto the spindly piece of wood, which had cracked at the impact and left the end hanging off by a thin strand of bark.

Rob looked down at the branch, which was clearly around waist level for him. “Do you _think_ that I would? Listen, this city may be really weird, but I don’t think I’m capable of violation of the laws of physics. What happened to _you?_ ”

”That’s... what I thought,” Gumball mused, ignoring the question. “But... that means... I- we... if we feel each other’s pain...”

Anais finished the sentence for him. “He’s the guy you’ve been looking for. Rob is your soulmate.”

The idea wasn’t exactly foreign to Gumball. He _did_ put Rob on his list- it wasn’t as though it was entirely out of the question. But hearing it out loud, as a certainty rather than a vague possibility, shook him to his core. “There’s gotta be some other explanation here,” he reasoned nervously, drumming his fingers on his other paw as his mind raced.

Rob ran his fingers through his hair- well, a polygonal mass vaguely akin to hair. “Are you okay?” he finally asked, the silence becoming almost unbearable. He could have walked away, but he felt like it wouldn’t be the right thing to do, for some reason.

Gumball completely ignored him. “Come on, come on. There’s gotta be _some_ explanation. It just...” He froze, his eyes suddenly lighting up. “Wait, hold on! I’ve got it! We’re like... murder soulmates. We’re destined to fight! It’s not romantic, we’re just _supposed to be_ nemeses.” Rob almost winced, but Gumball didn’t notice it. “That’s your purpose! I mean, I guess it’s my purpose, too, but it’s mostly yours!”

”Alright, you’re in denial,” Anais said, under her breath. “That’s fine.”

“That’s why we feel each other’s pain,” he continued, a little less manic but still overexcited. “It’s so we can invent new ways to use it when we fight! Our lives are a constant battle against each other! Yin and yang! Optimus Prime and Megatron! You were _born_ to be my enemy! _I bet you already knew, and were hurting yourself to fight me from afar!_ ”

Rob closed his eye, a hint of exasperation tinging his voice and expression. “I... think you should come with me,” he finally said, after a moment of hesitation. “ _Alone_.” He glanced at Anais.

“Of course, to fight! This battle will be legendary!” Gumball beamed, running after him and leaving his younger sister behind without a word.

* * *

Rob sat down in the junkyard after he made sure as well as he could that he and Gumball were alone. He shoved the blue feline onto down a piece of rusted scrap metal next to him, and took one last cursory glance around to make sure they were _really,_ _completely, absolutely_ by themselves.

”Okay, listen. What I’m about to tell you, I haven’t told a single other person,” he finally whispered, his voice hoarse. “ _I don’t want to be your enemy._ ”

Gumball was taken aback. “B-but... destiny?”

”I wasn’t... destined for this, either. It’s not really something I’m good at,” he sighed. “The truth is... remember that day with the remote? Remember how... _dedicated_ I was to get my revenge?”

”No-“

”Of course you don’t remember. Right. I’m an idiot. Well... you saved me. Saved my _life._ And the truth is, _that’s_ why I gave up on you the other day. That’s why I stopped being your enemy. I didn’t really feel comfortable hating you, and to tell you the truth, I still don’t.”

Gumball was still confused. “I don’t have any memories of saving you, though. I mean, I think you might have mentioned it once, but I... seriously don’t remember anything. Everything is just sort of hazy.”

“The truth is, there are some holes in my memory, too. Not just that day. I remember that pretty clearly,” Rob explained. “But... before that, it’s kind of a blur. I remember a pretty good life. Being happy. Having friends. Nobody really remembered my name, but I wasn’t a villain. I was never really supposed to be. And then...” He cleared his throat. He _didn’t cry._

“Something happened. The truth is, the universe has tried to make me forget so many times that it’s starting to work. I just remember... static everywhere. The- the Void? And then there was a blinding light, and a rush of wind, and it hurt so much, and...” He was interrupted by a set of fluffy blue arms wrapping around him. After a second, he continued. “I was nobody, and so they tried to get rid of me.”

”So you mean you weren’t always like this?” Gumball asked, looking up as he embraced the tall cyclops. “Tell me what you were like. If I try, I bet I can remember who you were before.”

”Well... I was tall. And-and-and...” Rob tried to hold on to what little he could remember, but it slipped away from him as he did. “I... don’t recall.” He remembered a few things, sure, but every time he tried to put himself into those memories, it was always his current, scarred body.

“I was there when Tina was fighting you. And... I think there was something with a manhole? But I don’t remember how I looked. I barely remember who I was. You’d probably like that me better, to be perfectly honest.”

”Then how did you end up like... _this_? Fighting me? Because as long as I can remember knowing you, we’ve been nemeses.”

”I needed a part to play. The spot was open. It’s not destiny, I just... did it. I don’t want to go back _there_.”

“So that’s it? You just... had to?” Gumball snapped, his voice wavering with disbelief. He immediately pulled away from Rob, as if he had just realized what he was doing. “There’s no reason? No greater meaning? You just had to choose a role?”

”I-“

”Because if that’s true, why are we fated to be together? If it’s not because we’re enemies...” Gumball didn’t finish the sentence, but Rob still knew exactly what he meant. “And... if you’re not doing it to hurt me,” Gumball traced his fingers across Rob’s arm, who quickly pulled away, “why are you hurting yourself?”

”Wha- why do you think that’s the case. Why would you think I was hurting myself?”

”Rob. Listen to me. I’m not stupid. You haven’t been continually falling on your arm in the same places. Answer my question before you start asking your own.”

”It’s... a distraction,” Rob mumbled.

Gumball raised his voice. “A distraction from what? You’re always asking me if I’m okay, but are you?”

”A distraction from how I feel. From my memories, or what’s left of them. I’m... not saying it’s good, but it’s how I deal.”

”No. No way. You need to find a better way to cope. I get it, you feel like shit, but this isn’t the way you fix it. You live in a _dump,_ man. You’re gonna get Tetris.”

”Tetanus.”

”Whatever. You need to, like, go to a therapist,” Gumball said, his tone dead serious. “Someone who knows what they’re doing. I can _tell you_ to get help, but I can’t actually help you. Even if we weren’t enemies.”

”Are we still enemies? I mean, after today?”

”That doesn’t matter. Yeah, you told this stuff to me, but you said nobody else knows. Dude, you need to fix that. We live in _Elmore._ Nobody’s gonna judge you if you have some problems. I mean, look at me!”

“You’re different. You can’t understand it. I can’t even remember what happened. How can I remember how to help myself?”

”But you know that it _hurt you!_ Listen, you sat in a bush and listened to me talk about my issues. Now it’s time for me to be the one in the bush.”

Rob balled his fists and gritted his teeth for a moment, before relaxing and giving a small sigh. “That still wasn’t the same. You had a clear problem and a clear solution. None of this is clear.”

”And where did that solution lead me?”

”Now you’re more confused than ever. Okay. I get it. I swear, I’ll ask someone for help,” Rob finally conceded. “But how are you gonna deal?”

”Well... uh...”

”It’s not destiny wanting us to be enemies,” Rob continued. “If it was, I’d be better at it. You’d have an anvil-shaped dent in your skull right now.”

Gumball nodded. ”The universe doesn’t want us to be nemeses. At least, not forever. And I don’t know if it wants us to get together. I mean, I still love Penny, and that’s not gonna change. But... maybe it wants us to be friends?” he asked. “I’m willing to try it again. Not like last time. It’ll be different this time around- I mean, if you’re okay with it, I guess. We can just... ignore this whole thing for the time being.”

Rob stood up, cracking a smile for the first time in what felt like forever, and nodded. “I’ll give it a shot. Maybe I can be like I was before.”

”Before?”

”I don’t think I was quite this... everything. I think if I was less, y’know, angry at the world, maybe I wouldn’t be here right now. Maybe it wouldn’t have ended like... last time.”

Gumball looked down, a hint of blush tinging his cheeks. “But... I like _you._ Not whoever you were before.”

”You like me?”

”You know. As friends,” Gumball added, a little too hastily.

”Yeah,” Rob smiled, a real, wholehearted smile. “As friends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blame OSP for my usage of the term “murder soulmates”  
> does rob have the braincell? nope. he’s just as oblivious.


	5. Second-Hand Smoke

Penny wasn’t expecting to hear the phone ring, and she appreciated that. It was always an interesting surprise when someone called, and when she picked it up, she was even happier to see the Caller ID indicating that Gumball was the one on the other end. The past few days, she had been lying awake at night, anxious thoughts pouring through her brain. The typically clingy Gumball hadn’t messaged her at all for the past few days, and in tandem with their previous conversations, Penny was unnerved. As Penny lifted the phone to her head, she let a wave of relief wash over her.

”Hello,” she laughed, her voice light. “How are you?”

Gumball’s voice was warped through the speaker, hollow and tinny as he talked. Even through the layers of distortion, though, Penny could hear a slight tremble in his voice. “Hey, can you come over? It’s important. Thanks.”

”Well, sure, but-“ Penny responded.

”Great,” Gumball cut her off, before they were both silenced by the sound of a dial tone. Penny didn’t tend to worry about their relationship. That was Gumball’s job, after all. Still, though, she couldn’t help but feel a little anxious with how he was acting lately. It wasn’t like him at all, and that scared Penny. Even when he was distracted by something else, Rob or Darwin or his own soulmate problems, he still managed to find time for her.

She supposed she should be grateful that he was finally taking initiative and organizing something between the two of them, but the abrupt way he had spoken made sweat bead on her forehead and, for a moment, made her struggle to keep her shape. It made all the anxiety that had washed away just a few moments ago crash back towards her all over again.

Penny stepped outside, the ground not so cool as to make walking uncomfortable but not hot enough to hurt her feet. The world was shadowed by a blanket of light gray clouds, and her body cast a bit of warm light on the driveway around her. The sun had given way to rain, which had given way to a quiet gray sky. The way it seemed to desaturate the world was a little calming, and helped Penny’s anxiety soften up just a little bit.

As she was stepping off of the driveway and onto the sidewalk, she was interrupted by a gruff voice.

”Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” her father asked.

Penny paused for a moment, all manner of semi-convincing excuses running through her head, before deciding that there was no point in lying. “The Watterson residence.”

”Young lady, you know how I feel about that family, and you know I want nothing to do with them. First they act like bumbling idiots, next the crack your shell-“

”Dad. Stop,” Penny snapped, her body tinting red for a moment before shifting to its normal hue. “You know what? I’m sick of you doing this. You never learn. _Never_. It’s not Gumball’s fault how his dad acts, and he’s done more than enough to make it up to you. You think he broke me. You think he hurt me, but you know what? He freed me. I’m going to say something, and I sure hope you remember it this time. Gumball is my boyfriend, and he’s going to be _no matter what you say_.” Penny took a breath in and unballed her fists, leaning back. “The least you can do is be supportive,” she sighed.

”Penny- I-“

”I get it. You’re going to forget this in ten minutes and go back to insisting Gumball is an awful person, that I should just stay away from him forever. _Like you always do_.”

”No, you know what?” Patrick began, raising his voice. “You... bring up a good point. I don’t listen to you because you’re my daughter- and I should know better. And I don’t listen to Gumball because he’s a Watterson. I say I’ll change so you’ll stop talking, but I never take anything to heart. I’ve been thinking, maybe I should start trying. I accept you, and I accept him.”

Penny stepped back, speechless, before running towards her father and pulling him into a tight hug.

”No hugging, though,” Patrick pushed her away, his expression stern.

Penny nodded. “Fine, no hugging,” she said, her smile audible in her voice, before dashing off towards Gumball’s house.

* * *

Gumball didn’t answer at the first knock, or at the second. By the third one, Penny could hear him walking up to the door. At the fourth knock, he finally opened it.

Penny’s heart skipped one beat for every knock, every time Gumball didn’t answer the door despite his earlier insistence on the urgency of the situation. Every time it felt like Gumball was ignoring her, even though he was terrified of her doing the same. At knock number four, beat number four, she expected the pounding in her chest to disappear.

It didn’t.

”Hey, come in,” Gumball said, his smile wavering just a small amount as he tightly grasped Penny’s hand.

As she entered, Penny felt a little less nervous. A sandwich, ham and cheese and just one, had been set out on the table. Maybe it wasn’t anything to be concerned about. Maybe Gumball just wanted to hang out, to make up for all the times he had ignored her in the past, obsessed over something else.

Some _one_ else.

She sat down, and Gumball sat across from her.

”I... made you a sandwich,” Gumball broke the silence, although it didn’t do much to diffuse the tension between the two.

”I can see that,” Penny nodded. “And thank you.”

She lifted up the sandwich and took a bite. The atmosphere was thick and awkward, unspoken words pressing down on the two of them. Gumball’s eyes seemed to be pointed everywhere in the room except for Penny, which only made her heart beat faster.

_What if something’s wrong?_

_What if he doesn’t want to be with me anymore?_

“So, uh... We need to talk,” Gumball choked, his voice hoarse and stifled.

”About?” Penny tried her best to keep her expression confident, but her smile began to waver and eventually fell completely.

”I- I found my soulmate,” her boyfriend sighed, his hands interlocking and flexing together. “I mean, I’m pretty sure.”

”And you want to be with her instead?” Penny asked, her eyes beginning to water- although her voice showed no emotion except quiet concern.

” _Him_ , actually- and no! Of course not! I still love you, and that’s not gonna change.”

Penny instinctively let out a quiet breath. _It’s okay. Gumball is still the same cat. Things aren’t going to be any different between us- at least not in a way that’ll pull us apart._

_At least... I hope._

“So, what are you going to do?”

”We... agreed to just be friends. I don’t think I’ll be falling for him anytime soon.”

”Oh?” Penny smiled. “Who’s the _un_ lucky guy?”

Gumball froze for a moment, before laughing awkwardly. “...Very funny.”

”No, seriously, who?” Penny asked, her tone still joking, but a little bit more serious.

“Uhh...”

”You can tell me. I won’t get mad, I swear. No matter who.”

”Well, you see... it’s...” Gumball mumbled, suddenly bashful. Penny could almost see the gears turning in his head. “It’s, uh, it’s... Tobias?”

”Tobias?” Penny asked in disbelief. “And... how’d he react to that?”

”Er... uh... with a lot of ‘I’m not gay, man!’ and incoherent screaming. A _lot_ of screaming. Yeah.”

Penny let out an inadvertent chuckle, before her smile faltered. “...Are _you_?”

”I, uh... don’t know? I mean, I still love you, so I don’t think so, but maybe I’m... bi or something?”

”Okay, that-that’s okay. It’s fine. I’m just curious, is all.”

”Yeah. I mean, we’re friends. Nothing more. And, no offense to him, but I don’t think I’m into R-...Tobias.”

”Who’s ‘Rtobias’?”

”Slip of the tongue,” Gumball shook his head.

”Mhm?” Penny said, unconvinced. She glanced around the room, the shelves and counters sitting in the same familiar places as always. It felt comfortable to be in Gumball’s house, even through the thick atmosphere. A warm feeling emanated through Penny, amplified by every moment she looked into her boyfriend’s eyes, now confident enough to meet hers. It was almost enough to make her forget the conversation at hand.

”You know how it is. Can’t talk while eating.”

”You didn’t make yourself anything.”

”Eating by proximity. It’s like second-hand smoke.”

Almost.

Penny paused for a minute, unsure of whether it was a joke or really Gumball’s inane attempt to justify himself. He started laughing just a moment later, though, and Penny relaxed. 

”So... things are good with us?” She took another bite from the sandwich.

”Mhm, things are good. All fine. A-okay,” Gumball affirmed a little too heavily, beads of sweat beginning to drip down the side of his head. “One hundred percent.”

”You’re sweating.”

”Thermostat’s broken.”

Penny sighed, looking over to the decidedly intact thermostat across the room. On some level, though, she knew better than to keep probing at the clearly nervous Gumball. So instead, she accepted his response, thanked him for the food, and left to be alone with her thoughts.

As she was walking back home, Penny had plenty of time to pore over what Gumball had said.

_He has a soulmate, and it’s not me._

_He says it’s Tobias._

_I don’t believe him._

Something didn’t add up- the hasty way he came up with excuses, the obvious lies- everything just didn’t point towards it being Tobias. Still, though, Penny trusted Gumball. She didn’t want to be too hasty to accuse him of lying.

_Maybe the thermostat really was broken._

_There’s only one way to know for sure._

By the point where an idea had formed in Penny’s mind, she was almost home. She took one glance at her home, shook her head, and turned to run in the opposite direction.

Tobias’ house was only a few blocks away, and Penny reached it after just a couple minutes of running. She paused for a second, before ascending the steps and placing her hand on the door. She knocked a few times and waited for a response, hearing a slight commotion inside the house. Just as she was ready to turn away, Tobias opened the door.

”What took you so long to answer?” Penny asked, looking in confusion at the short hallway.

”You gotta make the ladies wait,” Tobias smirked, leaning against the doorway.

”I- you- there are so many things wrong with that.”

”Baby, if that’s wrong, I don’t wanna be right.”

”Tobias. I have a boyfriend. Who, by the way, is claiming to be your soulmate. Trust me, I didn’t come here to hear your garbage pick-up lines. I just want to know if it’s true.”

“That... Gumball’s my soulmate?” Tobias asked, more confused than anything else. “Not that I know of.”

”So there was no discussion about it? Nothing?” Penny narrowed her eyes.

”Zilch.”

Penny nodded and, before Tobias could say another word, sprinted back home.

Her father greeted her again at the door. Penny was expecting harsh words of disapproval, or at least a glare, but she was pleasantly surprised to see him silently let her in. Of course, he wasn’t smiling, but he also wasn’t angry- or at least didn’t show it.

Penny was confused, she was irritated, and she was a little bit nervous, but the slight smile her father gave her stalled those feelings for just a moment. As she walked upstairs and collapsed on her bed, tired of thinking and of worrying, Penny let her thoughts drift away from Gumball for just a moment. She let them take her someplace more carefree, knowing that soon, reality would catch up with her, but for just a minute, she was okay.

Everything was going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An early chapter? This must be a Christmas miracle!
> 
> Featuring: Me yelling at Patrick Fitzgerald through the voice of Penny!  
> Was having a bit of trouble finding a good title for this one, so I hope this one doesn’t seem too out of place.


	6. “SGUgbG92ZXMgeW91”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late update this time around, many apologies for that.
> 
> Somewhat of a TW for feelings of unreality/dereality for this one. Just something to keep in mind, nothing severe but it is there.

Rob rolled his singular eye and sighed, opening up a beaten-up laptop. Earlier that day, Gumball had swung by, demanding that he develop a presence on the internet.

”You _need_ to get online. That way, we can talk and be bush therapy buddies without having to run all the way here and back, and you can get to know everyone else. You know... again. Except this time it won’t be while you’re trying to commit domestic terrorism. Do you have a computer?” Gumball had asked, looking around the piles of discarded items for something resembling an electronic device. “Or a phone, or whatever.” The closest he had seen was a cell phone the size of a small brick resting under some scrap metal, its screen blank and the technology clearly either broken, defunct, or both.

”Why wouldn’t I?” Rob had responded, pulling the dented laptop out from where it was hidden underneath some debris. “It’s kind of a requirement nowadays.”

Actually, there was a pretty good chance that he _wouldn’t_ have a computer. It was through some stroke of luck that the laptop appeared, sitting somewhere all-too-familiar and granting with it a bizarre sense of deja vu. Rob didn’t ask questions, though. It was like that old thing people said about horses and mouths. 

_Don’t gift a horse mouth..?_

”You live in a junkyard. I wasn’t exactly expecting a life of luxury,” Gumball had shrugged, which snapped Rob back to reality.

”It’s the best I can do. Anyways, this plan doesn’t seem very thought-out. What will I put as my bio? ‘13 years old. Villain, tried to kill you, former nemesis slash (murder) soulmate to @GumballWatterson’?”

“Yeah! Just like that, except don’t write that last part. The rest works.”

”Why not? It seems fine to me.” Rob had asked, tilting his head quizzically at Gumball.

”Penny... doesn’t know.”

”She’s your girlfriend! Why didn’t you tell her?”

”Because- uh...”

“Because _why?”_

“Hey, you lived in my basement for like three months. You don’t get to say I can’t keep secrets. But...” Gumball was almost going to lie again, but quickly decided against it. “Because I... talk about you a lot. I was worried that if I told her _we_ were soulmates, she’d interpret our relationship as... not entirely platonic. Which it is.” Rob could see Gumball’s cheeks getting redder by the second, but both of them chose not to acknowledge it.

”You talk about me? To your girlfriend? _Frequently?_ ”

”I thought I told you that already. But... yeah. It’s slowed down. I hope. Er, I was pretty obsessed for a bit when you stopped neme-seeing me,” Gumball muttered sheepishly.

Rob had paused for a moment, his eye shifting unconsciously at the reminder of that day.

_Time to change the subject._

“So you want me online?” he had asked, turning around to face Gumball. “Because I’m already in 12 separate engineering forums, as well as one of the three people on this digital support group for young teenagers with useless college degrees. Actually, my username is DrWrecker624, if you want to look me up. I’m on pulleyscounterweights.net, rubegoldbergfanatics.com, maliciousengi-“

”Okay, enough. This is about _Elmore_ , not about people who really... like building traps. You have to... re-introduce yourself to everyone here. They all know you as the guy who tried to kill them. _This_ is so you can rebrand yourself as... not that. I’ve gotta run, but I’ll link you a few websites to get started.”

And that was how Rob found himself sitting with a laptop and trying to access a defunct social media platform.

”Nobody actually uses this place anymore. That’s why it’s perfect! I can show you the ropes, and if you mess up, nobody will see,” Gumball had reasoned.

As he clicked the link, Rob felt a strange sense of deja vu. The layout was green and white, and felt like something he’d seen before. The website asked for a username and password, and almost instinctively, Rob typed one in. He wasn’t actually sure what it _was_ that he typed in, but he knew it felt right. He knew that, when he clicked that garish neon green “sign in” button, it would work and Rob would be greeted with a profile.

 _His_ profile.

Instead, there was nothing. Just cold, black, unfeeling text, reading “The username or password did not match our database. Please try again and make sure everything is spelled correctly.”

Rob tried again and again, positive that he made some minute error, some mistake in spelling or capitalization, but was greeted with nothing but the same result. He clenched his teeth in frustration, unable to determine what the problem was, before noticing the small eye symbol next to the text box. He clicked it, and it immediately changed into a crossed-out eye, with the tiny bullet points that previously marked the password changing to readable- well, not readable, but some sort of facsimile of readable text.

”SGUgbG92ZXMgeW91”

_What the-_

He tried typing it in again, still relying on pure muscle memory, but another string of nonsense text appeared.

”WW91IGxvdmUgaGlt”

_No- no. No. This can’t be right. This can’t be happening. I- I remember this._

_That’s not my password. It can’t be._

_But what is?_

Rob closed his eye. Everything felt too loud, too bright, _too much_ , even though it was almost evening and almost silent. After a moment, Rob sighed and navigated to the “register” button to create an account. There was a lot of information being requested that he wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to.

_What’s my last name? What address is this junkyard? How should I know?_

Eventually, he settled to be “Robert Wrecker”, who apparently lived on 624- same as his other usernames- Trashpile Avenue. Elmore, CA. For a moment, he was nervous that the website would recognize it as an invalid address, but the system was so old that it accepted it without question.

 _Congratulations! Your account has been registered in our system,_ the screen read out, in garish, neon-green text. _Welcome, Robert Wrecker._

He was already regretting putting that as his name.

After just a moment of being online, a small green circle appeared over his inbox icon. A message, from Gumball, saying _Hi._

_Have you been refreshing the page waiting for me to get set up?_ he quickly replied.

_...no..?_ Gumball sheepishly answered.

_Doubt it, but sure._

_wait pennys msging me_

_Two and a half of those were actual words._

_i thought you used the internet_

_That doesn’t mean I sacrificed my grammar skills._

There was a short pause before the next message, and Rob was worried for a second that Gumball had disconnected.

_Are you still online?_

_uh... shit_

  
  
_Let me guess. Did Penny find out about the soulmate thing?_

_possibly_

_And does she know it’s me?_

Another pause, this one making Rob nervous, but for a different reason.

_no_

_Is she mad?_

_let’s just continue the social media tutorial_

_How mad?_ Rob completely ignored Gumball’s request.

_not as much as I expected. but she definitely turned red_

Rob guessed that, at least in the current situation, that phrase was being used completely literally.

_Turned red?_ he asked.

_wait have I actually told you about Penny?_ Gumball answered with a question of his own.

_Not exactly._

_she may or may not be a shapeshifter. and by that i mean that she’s a shapeshifter._

Rob was at least correct on that assumption. Penny _had_ literally changed colors. He was still nervous, though. _Really_ nervous.

_Can you at least talk to her?_

_she wants to meet in person again tomorrow. to discuss this._

_Then can you explain what’s going on? Tell her about me? You need to communicate with her. No more lies._

_maybe and maybe_

_I need something concrete. Either say yes or no, either tell her or don’t, but at least answer me._

A third pause, much longer than the rest- at least a few minutes. Both options made Rob nervous. The lies couldn’t continue, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted Penny to know. At least, not as their introduction. They’d never seen each other before, and he wasn’t exactly comfortable having his first real interaction with a potentially-dangerous shapeshifter be under such stressful pretenses.

 _Not like stress has bothered you before,_ Rob thought. _You’ve seen her before. It was fine. The domestic terrorism wasn’t fine, but the interaction was._

But that was different. That was a persona. That wasn’t who he really was- at least, not when he stopped trying to convince himself of it. _This_ was real.

Something snapped Rob out of his own head- a soft ding signaling a new message from Gumball. He took a moment to scan over it, even though it was only three letters long.

_yes_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of those are real websites, I’m so sorry.
> 
> irony - noun (concept):
> 
> (1) Rob telling other people to be better at communication


	7. Strictly Platonic

_yes_

Gumball’s promise to Rob glowed on the screen, a neon-green reminder of the web of lies he’d have to unravel. He swallowed hard and shook his head. _It’ll be fine._ _She’ll understand. You’ll explain everything and everything will turn out okay._ He quickly closed the tab, stepped away from the computer, and flopped down on his soft, pillowy bed, feeling some small ounce of self-pity amidst his mounting anxiety.

He considered just messaging Penny- obviously not on that old, defunct platform he taught Rob about, but someplace where he could send her a long, thought-out message- but very quickly decided against it. _It’s too important._ Instead, he directed his attention towards the actual content of his explanation.

”So. You know Rob. He’s my real soulmate,” Gumball rehearsed.

_No. Too blunt._

“I love you, but the universe has decided I should love the guy who’s whole deal is trying to murder me.”

_Too... hostile._

“Rob is my soulmate. This doesn’t change anything. We’re in a strictly platonic relationship. I apologize for lying.”

_Too forma- you know what? I’ll just revise it later._

Gumball still felt off about that message. Sure, it was one thing to think about their relationship- how they were nothing but enemies, and then- maybe- friends. It was another thing entirely to say it out loud. Deep down, he knew why- the sudden warmth in his cheeks, the way Rob occupied his thoughts far too often- he wasn’t oblivious. Gumball felt something that wasn’t “strictly platonic” for Rob.

_But I love Penny._

Soulmates were confusing, and complicated, and didn’t match how Gumball felt- or wanted to feel. Maybe that was why he had dismissed the concept entirely. Love could transcend fate, and fate was an idiot for thinking it could stop him.

Gumball had only just started to entertain the concept that the two were more intertwined than he thought.

It wasn’t really a matter of sexuality. Gumball was pretty sure that he wasn’t entirely straight, but he never got too hung-up on labels. Penny was the only one for him. He was the only one for Penny. Sure, there were passing infatuations. Little things he did that didn’t really have heterosexual explanations to them. They never stuck with Gumball, though.

That is, until Rob.

There was an old saying. _Absence makes the heart grow fonder._

Rob had been living in Gumball’s basement for several months, but when he finally decided to separate himself from Gumball, that was when it started.

Everything that couldn’t be explained by a normal rivalry.

At the time, Gumball was sure it was just because Rob stopped being his enemy. After all, the hero needed a villain. Without one, he was incomplete. He hadn’t taken the time to think about if it was really all just because of that. He didn’t see the need- but now, it was painfully obvious. Gumball missed Rob- not Rob as an enemy, but just _Rob._

And then _it_ happened.

Gumball had figured he was being a nuisance. Rob had seemingly determined that, too, and eventually, he let his temper get the better of him.

They fought again, and Gumball was happy.

They were enemies again.

Rob stopped ignoring him.

Even so, though, there was something off about Rob’s demeanor. He would linger on glances for a bit too long. His expression would become almost _penitent_ for a split second.

That was when the random pains started happening.

Anais had mentioned a moment of emotional intensity and honesty, hadn’t she?

Gumball had the intensity part down pat. He wasn’t sure about the “emotional honesty”, but maybe “hate” was just what they said when they were too afraid to say how they really felt.

_Or maybe Rob did hate you._

_Maybe he’s just taking pity on you._

Gumball wasn’t sure exactly how long he stayed there, laying on the bed, but by the time he got up, the sun had shifted low enough in the sky to shine directly in his eyes. He covered them with one paw and got back on his feet, stopping to think for a second.

_What was i even- oh right. Penny._

Gumball stretched out, the golden sunlight reflecting off of his fur, and stepped downstairs. His father was asleep on the couch, his favorite telenovela still playing absently in front of him. His mother was out running some errand. She hadn’t really talked to Gumball, but he could tell that she still felt some regret from a few days before. Gumball wasn’t sure how to talk to her, or how to tell her that everything was fine. Darwin and Anais were off with her, and Gumball had told her he was going to a friend’s house in order to get out of going. They would be back at any moment, though.

_That’s why you should make this quick._

He considered asking his father for a ride to Penny’s house, but stopped when he remembered the general quality of his driving. Instead, he ran out the front door, pushing every complicated thought out of his head.

* * *

Penny was almost used to doorbells signaling something bad, and when she opened the door to see Gumball standing there guiltily, she was sure it was no exception. Sure, she loved him. But he had been acting so strange and distant, and it really worried her. She trusted him, but she was still nervous- not just for herself, but for him, too.

She knew Gumball wouldn’t cheat. He was devoted- almost ridiculously so. He was always obsessing over the ones he loved. He wouldn’t hurt them. Not like that.

”It’s Rob.”

Penny froze. Her body wavered for a moment, unsure of what exact blend of emotions Gumball’s words were bringing her. She chose to keep her tone level, if shaky.

”What- what’s Rob?”

”My soulmate. It’s Rob.” Gumball hesitated before continuing, but not long enough for Penny to respond. “I’m so sorry I lied.”

”Are you... in a relationship?” Penny tried not to assume the worst. _He’d tell you if he was. But... he’s always obsessing about the ones he loves._

_Maybe Rob isn’t an exception._

“No. Everything is- we’re just friends.” Gumball glanced down as he spoke. He closed his eyes and let out a breath. “I was afraid to tell you because- I know I get kind of obsessive.”

It was almost as if Gumball had read Penny’s mind.

”Anyways,” he continued, “I didn’t want you to think we had anything going on- or, God forbid, that I didn’t like you. I get it if you’re mad at me. I’d be mad at me too.”

“I’m not mad.” Penny pulled Gumball into a tight embrace, emitting a soft glow onto Gumball’s fur. They stood there for a moment, warming each other’s skin against the rabidly-cooling evening air. “I’m glad you could tell me. I was just... worried. About us, but especially about you.” She reached for the doorknob to close it. “You should go home. It’s getting dark.”

Penny sighed and sat down, leaning against the door to catch her breath. She looked back at her hand, but apart from a slight wavering in hue, she had kept her shape. She was safe, she was whole. Gumball was okay, and he loved her. He wasn’t going to stop loving her, no matter how much she worried. He had finally told the truth- the whole truth, Penny hoped.

Everything was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smaller chapter this time around. I’m a sucker for Penball hugs- glowing GF to warm you up? Count me in.
> 
> In all seriousness, though, I’m glad I could resolve this plot point quickly- lying/misunderstanding plots have never really been my bag. Now we can get into the fun stuff (gay shit. and angst. and hopefully some comfort for your hurt)
> 
> Also. I realized that I had the end notes for the first chapter set for the entire work. Whoops.


End file.
